"Sunglasses" Contact Lenses Now Exist, so Apparently It's 3018

If someone asked you how well you take care of your eyes, what would your answer be? Do you get regular eye exams, give your eyes a break from the computer screen, always wear sunglasses when you step out in the daylight, and properly care for your contact lenses? Our vision is so precious, albeit constantly changing as we age, so whatever we can do to help it stay strong and healthy, we're on board.

Thanks to contact lens brand Acuvue, if you're already a contact lens wearer, your eyes are about to be more protected than ever, particularly from harmful blue light and UV rays. Acuvue has created a first-of-its-kind contact lens that's essentially like wearing sunglasses on your eyeballs. In a statement from Johnson & Johnson Vision, new Acuvue Oasys With Transitions Light Intelligent Technology provides wearers with vision correction and a dynamic photochromic filter that helps to continuously balance the amount of light entering the eye.

Remember Transitions Lens glasses? The idea is the same with these contact lenses, which took over a decade and numerous clinical trials on over 1000 patients to perfect. When you first place the lenses on your eyes, they're clear, just like a regular lens. But as the light hits them, they gradually shift to a darker color. This defense helps protect the eyes against bright lights both indoors and outdoors when our eyes typically squint or become strained to adjust to a greater amount of light entering the pupil. Will they make you look like a horror film villain? Perhaps the darkness of the contact will make you look slightly different, especially if you have naturally light eyes, but the lenses don't completely black out—they're more of a deep grey tint and make you look like you just got your pupils dilated. But if it's in the name of eye health, what's the harm in a slightly darkened eye color?

If you're thinking this invention means you'll never have to pack your sunglasses again, you'll want to hold on to your frames. According to the statement, "UV-absorbing contact lenses are NOT substitutes for protective UV-absorbing eyewear, such as UV-absorbing goggles or sunglasses, because they do not completely cover the eye and surrounding area."

Acuvue Oasys With Transitions Light Intelligent Technology will be available starting in 2019, and pricing hasn't been released just yet, but we'll be sure to keep you updated. And just like normal contact lenses, you can get them from your ophthalmologist or from sites like 1-800-Contacts with an updated prescription.